For Men greeting Men – The standard Lao greeting is, "Sabaideebor" which means "how are you?" or "are you well?" This is usually done with both hands pressed together in a prayer in front of your body and accompanied with a slight bow or nod. The response for "sabaideebor" is usually "sabaidee”.  Some men will also use a standard handshake.  These tend to be on light side.  Always smile during greetings.

For Women greeting Women - The standard Lao greeting is, "Sabaideebor" which means "how are you?" or "are you well?" This is usually done with both hands pressed together in a prayer position just below the chin and accompanied with a slight bow. The response for "sabaideebor" is usually "sabaidee”.  Always smile during greetings.

Greetings between Men and Women – The standard Lao greeting is, "Sabaideebor" which means "how are you?" or "are you well?" This is usually done with both hands pressed together in a prayer position just below the chin and accompanied with a slight bow. The response for "sabaideebor" is usually "sabaidee”.  Always smile during greetings.

Notes: The person who is socially inferior or younger should be the first to bow, but it is considered polite for the older/socially superior person to respond quickly. The higher the hands are held and the lower the bow, the greater the degree of respect. When addressing a social equal, the hands are usually held at the level of the mouth; when addressing a person of higher social standing (this includes monks, regardless of age), the hands are usually held in front of the nose; and when addressing a younger/socially inferior person, they are usually held at the chin.